• On Chivas: The club scored 24 goals last season, 20 fewer than the Crew and the fewest in MLS.
… Chivas’ last victory was on July 28 at Portland. … Chivas was undefeated in eight preseason
matches, outscoring opponents 27-8.

• On the Crew: Only three projected starters were in last year’s opening-day starting lineup,
and three starters will make their MLS debuts. … The Crew lost the championship game of the Disney
Pro Soccer Classic 1-0 to Montreal a week ago in the final tune-up for the starting unit.

• How it might play out: Chivas will try to clog the middle of the field with five midfielders,
and Crew players trying to make attacking runs likely will find strong physical opposition. Crew
goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum said he thinks the Crew’s size should negate some of those problems, and
should the Crew catch Chivas on a counter, the likes of Oduro, Arrieta and Higuain will have all
kinds of room with which to work. This could either be a 4-0 Crew victory or a brutal 0-0 tie.